Sky High
by rum-ramblings
Summary: [AU set in the Sky High universe.] Sky High is a school for would-be superheroes. It's a place where Myka Bering knows she doesn't belong. But as the daughter of The Commander and Jetstream, Myka is expected to take over the 'family business' some day and save the world. The only problem is, she's got no superpowers.


**Chapter 1: Falling**

A/N: I needed to change a few things, so I'm posting an _extended_ version of the chapter with a few alterations. I'd originally meant for this to be a crossover but I can't find a way for the characters from the movie to fit. Maybe some of them will show up later (?). For now I'm marking this as just an AU. It's OK if you haven't seen the movie, because I'll try to explain things as best as I can as we go along.

I'm still not sure where I'm going with this, but I want to stick to it and find out.

Thanks to everyone to read, reviewed and offered advice! Feel free to say more things...you know, if you want. :)

* * *

She really should have listened to those instructions about how not to fall off the edge of the school, Myka thought frantically, as she plummeted toward the Earth. And now she was going to die. She was going to die on her first day at the new school. This was worse than anything she could ever have imagined—and she'd made a checklist of worse-case scenarios because Myka Bering prepared for everything.

Her father would be so disappointed.

Inexplicably, she found herself thinking of the girl who'd met them at the front of the school when they'd gotten off the bus. H.G. Wells. She'd been there to welcome the freshmen. Their eyes had locked for the briefest moment, and Myka had had the unsettling sensation that the ground was falling away beneath her feet.

But why was she thinking of this _now_? She'd expected to see her life flash before her eyes. What she did see was a dark shape streaking toward her, getting closer by the second. She barely had a second to realize that the shape was a person—a flying person?—before she felt herself wrapped tightly in the stranger's arms. And then, blackness descended. Everything—the rushing air, the sky, the brilliant sun, the rapidly approaching ground below—was blotted out. She felt an unbearable pressure closing in all around her, but just before she could scream she was back in the world again.

They landed in a heap, and Myka felt the air get knocked out of her lungs with a loud "oof!" Blinking her eyes open, she found herself back on the school grounds and looking up into the dark, mesmerizing eyes of H.G. Wells. They were both panting, arms still wrapped tightly around each other. H.G.'s breath felt warm and sweet-scented on Myka's lips. She was entirely too close. Myka flushed.

They stared at each other for another moment. Then, in one fluid motion H.G. was off the ground and rushing toward something. Or someone as it turned out.

She tackled Crowley like a linebacker, and took him by the collar. "What the bloody hell is wrong with you?!" She shook him until his head bobbed wildly. "You could have killed her, you stupid little twit!"

Crowley tried to throw her off. "It's not my fault! She came at _me_. I only pushed her, I didn't mean for her to fall off!"

H.G. raised her fist, her face contorted in fury.

"That's enough, Ms. Wells!"

It was Principal Frederic, appearing as it seemed out of nowhere and looking impossibly stern.

H.G. reluctantly let go of Crowley, and stood looking sullen.

"We do not engage in petty fights to settle our disputes, Ms. Wells. Detention for week," said Principal Frederic. Helena stared back at her, stoned-faced with hands folded behind her back. "As for you, Mr. Crowley…"

Crowley gave her an unctuous smile, getting up and brushing off his jean. "Just having a bit of fun, ma'am…nothing too serious—"

H.G. looked ready to pounce on him again, but Principal Frederic spoke first. "I take instances of bullying at my school very seriously, Mr. Crowley. Detention for a month. And tell your parents that I wish to speak with them."

Her eyes softened when she turned to Myka. "Ms. Bering, are you hurt?"

Myka flushed from the combined attention of the crowd that had gathered around them, and the look of concern H.G. was sending her. "I'm fine—um, I'm great," she stammered. "Just, ah… lost my glasses, that's all."

"That's unfortunate. Why don't you go see Dr. Calder? She'll check to see whether you have any injuries and, perhaps, procure a pair of glasses you could use temporarily."

"I'll take her," said H.G., moving forward.

But Principal Frederic stopped her. "_You _will get back to class, Ms. Wells. As will the rest of you," she said, addressing the gathered crowd. The students dispersed quickly under the heat of her glare. Helena seemed about to protest, but then, thinking better of it, she sighed and stalked off.

"I'm sure Mr. Lattimer can escort you to the doctor's office, Ms. Bering. In the future, to prevent such accidents, I urge you to read The Manual thoroughly."

* * *

Myka couldn't believe she had forgotten to read The Manual. It was required reading for all freshman, and she knew how important it was to know the rules. But the truth was she'd been nervous; too nervous and afraid of her first day at the Academy when everyone would finally know her secret. A secret she'd been doing everything she could to hide from her parents.

The Manual had been mailed to her, along with her letter of acceptance to Sky High Academy for the Gifted. The name was a bit misleading because the kids who went to Sky High were more than just gifted. They were extraordinarily beyond the ordinary. Although an exceptionally high IQ could get you in—Lex Luther was rumored to have been a former alumnus, even though the Board of Directors vehemently denies it—most of the students at Sky High had some form of superhuman ability.

Myka Bering was not one of them. But her parents being who they were, she'd gotten in all the same. Kids of superheroes were accepted without question. Supervillians had to a fill in endless paperwork to prove their reformed status, or sign an agreement to refrain from plans of world destruction.

Myka leaned against Pete's shoulder as she limped down the hallway—because, despite her assurances to Principal Frederic, she had twisted her ankle pretty badly.

"You should have waited for me," Pete admonished her. "What were you doing taking on that kid all by yourself?"

"What was I supposed to do, Pete? Crowley was about to hurt Claudia. I couldn't just stand back and do nothing!"

Her blood boiled at the memory.

_H.G. had just left after giving them a tour of the campus—leaving a decidedly dazed Myka behind—when Crowley and McShane accosted them._

_McShane moved a whirlwind; running circles around them until they were herded close together. _

"_Ah, newbies!" said Crowley, with an unpleasant smile. His arm stretched like a snake toward them; he took Claudia's hat off her head and held it, bottom up, in front of her. "I believe it is time to collect the fifteen dollar student fee from each of you."_

_Claudia stared him down. "There is no student fee, you twat!" _

_Crowley's smile fell. He grabbed her ankle and lifted her up into the air, his arm stretching to enormous proportions. As Claudia dangled upside down, ten feet above the ground, struggling to free herself, Myka reacted unthinkingly. She grabbed Crowley's other arm and pulled uselessly._

"_Hey! Stop it! Put her down!" _

_Crowley ignored her. _

_At a loss for what to do, she poked him in the eye. Crowley shrieked and threw her off; his arm working like an elastic cord that propelled Myka several feet into the air._

_She'd had not realized how close to the edge they were until she fell, and fell, and kept falling toward the earth. _

"I know, I know," said Pete, his voice bringing her back to the present. "And I'm not saying it wasn't totally cool what you did. But, you know…until your powers come in, you gotta be careful, Mykes. Some of these kids are already halfway to becoming supervillains. They could be dangerous." The earnest worry in his eyes almost made her regret her recklessness. Almost.

"And besides," he continued, "We're partners, remember? When we get beaten up, we do it together." He nudged her with a shoulder and almost sent her toppling over.

"Pete," said Myka, as he steadied her. "Let's face it. I'm probably never going to get any superpowers. But that doesn't mean I'm going to run and hide, like a coward, every time there's trouble."

"You'll get your powers. You've already got that memory thing."

"An eidetic memory is not a superpower, Pete."

"Hey, guys! Wait up!"

Claudia Donovan raced down the hallway toward them, the pink streak in her red hair bouncing wildly.

"Myka—are you okay, are you hurt? I was so scared when Crowley sent you flying off the edge. And then, H.G. Wells just jumped off right after you! I thought she was crazy! And then, you were back and—thank god!" Claudia finished her rapid-fire chatter by launching herself at Myka with enough force to unbalance her again. Pete steadied both of them.

"Thank you," said Claudia, her expression suddenly serious. "For sticking up for me. That—that was really cool."

Myka grinned at her. "Of course, Claud. You know, I've got your back." She gently bumped Claudia's shoulder with a fist.

"I know," said Claudia, ducking her head. "And apparently, H.G. Wells has your back, 'cause that was pretty awesome what she did."

"Yeah. It was," said Myka, trying to suppress a blush. What was with her today?

"Hey!" Pete interrupted. "I've got your back, too! I would totally have jumped and caught you if I'd been there."

"Yeah, and a nice giant splatter you two would have made on the Earth's surface," said Claudia.

"That's not exactly true."

The three of them spun around to face the woman who'd spoken. They had finally reached the doctor's office.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Calder." She smiled and extended a hand to Myka. "You must be Myka Bering. Principal Frederic told me you would be coming to see me."

"Really?" said Pete, in confusion. "'Cause we just saw her outside the school like two minutes ago."

Dr. Calder shrugged. "She travels fast," she said, simply. "And quietly. Will the two of you be coming in as well?"

"No," said Myka, at the same time that Pete and Claudia said "yes".

"Seriously, guys," Myka turned to them, exasperated. "I'm going to be fine. Don't you have classes you need to get to?"

"Nope," said Pete. "Principal Frederic told me to take you to see the doctor and that's I'm doing."

"Yeah, and I asked her and she said I could go too," added Claudia. "You wouldn't want us to defy the words of an authority figure, would you, Myka?"

Myka rolled her eyes.

* * *

After Dr. Calder had checked that there were no broken bones or internal bleeding (with her X-ray vision), she proceeded to heal Myka's sprained ankle. All the while Claudia and Pete gave her a blow-by-blow account of what had happened.

"That was heroic on Ms. Wells' part but, like I said, you were in no real danger," said Dr. Calder, as she gently placed her hands around Myka's ankle. Myka felt a gentle surge of heat, and suddenly the pain in her ankle subsided.

"What do you mean?" asked Myka.

"Well, the school is hovering about three thousand feet above the Earth's surface. But around a hundred feet below the school, there is a protective field, sort of like a net to catch things that are not supposed to fall off. Anything that strikes the net is immediately transported back onto the school."

"Wait," said Claudia. "So, H.G. didn't teleport Myka back? The field thing did it?

"The field teleports objects to a designated room within the school," Dr. Calder said, as she poked and prodded Myka's ankle. "The room is always kept empty, so as to prevent teleported objects or people from falling on top of other people. Or worse, appearing in the space that is already occupied by another person."

They all winced at the thought.

"I wouldn't want a Myka sticking out of my belly," said Pete, contorting his face in distaste.

But Myka was frowning at this new information.

"But H.G. and I teleported back to the school grounds," she said.

"Yes, exactly. That means that it wasn't the field. I haven't read Ms. Wells' file but I suppose she is a teleporter."

"That is so cool," said Claudia. "I wish I could teleport. I'd never walk anywhere again."

Dr. Calder handed lollipops to all three of them, as she ushered them out.

"I think you'll be fine, Myka. Just rest that ankle for a day."

"Thanks, Dr. Calder." Myka gave her a grateful smile.

"Wait, doc," Claudia interrupted. "If there is a force field protecting students from falling to their death, then what is it with all the speeches and safety precautions? Why warn students at all?"

"This is a school for the kids of superheroes, Claudia. You all have a high propensity toward risk-taking. If most of the students knew, a lot of them would be jumping off to impress their friends or just for the heck of it." Dr. Calder shrugged. "Sometimes, you kids need to be protected from yourselves."

* * *

"So, basically, there's the hero track or the loser track," said Pete, biting off half of his hotdog.

After leaving Dr. Calder's office, they'd gone directly to the cafeteria for lunch break. Leena had called them to a table, where she was sitting with Steve—a mind-reader they'd met on the bus—and two other freshman. Leena had introduced herself as the junior in-charge of their orientation. ("No use of powers outside of the classrooms, gym, and the auditorium. No high-speed running, flying or gliding in the hallways. And although there is no strict dress code the school board does urge you to not wear capes, because they can be quite dangerous," she'd told them. "Oh, and stay out of Room 104." "What's in Room 104?" Pete had asked. "You don't wanna know," she'd replied, with an ominous look.)

"I believe the preferred term is hero-support," said Steve. He seemed like a calm, level-headed boy. Myka liked him already.

"Whatever, man. You're either a hero or a sidekick. And if you're my sidekick," Pete said, pointing a mustard and ketchup covered finger at Steve. "Be prepared. 'Cause there will be yellow spandex."

"Wait," Claudia interrupted. "Heroes can't decide on their sidekick's costumes, can they? That's not fair!"

"I'm afraid they can," said Leena. She shrugged. "I guess, it prevents the colors from clashing."

"Well, this whole thing sounds fascist. And no one is putting me in a skin-tight jumpsuit and six-inch heels," said Claudia, with a determined nod.

"Relax, Claud," said Pete, patting her head. She swatted him away. "I don't think anyone's gonna mess with you. They'll be too scared you'll hack into their bank accounts and steal all their money."

"It _was_ pretty impressive the way you stood up to Crowley today," added Steve.

"Yeah, well…it wasn't a big deal," said Claudia, trying for nonchalance, even as her cheeks turned pink. "Myka's the one who really gave it to him."

"If by 'gave it to him' you mean getting thrown off and falling almost to my death, then yeah, I really showed him," Myka said, wryly. "You shouldn't have used that word though, Claudia," she added, in gentle admonishment.

"What wor—oh… _why?_ There's no reason for us to be nice to him, Myka, after what he—"

"I know. And I'm not saying he doesn't deserve to be called a lot of bad things. It's just—you know, women have to contend with a lot of things without turning parts of our body into words of insult."

"Amen to that," said Leena.

"Much wisdom you have, young Padawan," said Pete, in his worst Yoda impression.

Myka threw a french fry at him.

Claudia was silent for a moment. "All right, yeah, you guys are right," she said, with a half-grimace. "I messed up. I guess I never thought about—."

"Well, it's good to see you're all safe and in one piece!" Myka's head whipped around at the voice. H.G. Wells stood at their table, looking calm and self-assured, her hands buried in the pockets of her knee-length overcoat. She smiled openly at Myka, and Myka blushed yet again. What was _with_ her today?

"How's your ankle?" H.G. asked. "I heard that you'd twisted it."

News certainly travels fast round here, Myka thought.

"Um, it's fine now. Dr. Calder healed it in less than a minute."

H.G. nodded. "Yes, it's good that we have an on-site Healer. Unsurprisingly, accidents are quite common in a school chock full of people with superpowers. Last year, a Firebreather was sitting next to a boy who can only speak through burps. The boy was belching an account of his vacation, when the Firebreather sneezed and—well, let's just say Dr. Calder had her work cut out for her on that one. Apparently, the boy's oral emissions consisted mostly of methane. Who knew?" No one seemed to know what to say to that.

H.G. continued, "I'm actually here to invite you all to a little soirée that I'm throwing at my house. I thought it would give you a chance to mingle with some of the students at Sky High. Maybe get to know some of them a bit better." She gave Myka a significant look, and Myka wished that if she could have one superpower, it would be to control the blood flow to her face.

"So, do you think you all will be able to make it this Saturday?" Even though her question was directed at everyone assembled at the table, H.G.'s eyes remained locked on Myka.

Myka swallowed. "Uh…"

But everyone around her was already agreeing with enthusiasm.

"No alcohol this time, right Helena?" asked Leena, with a look that was almost identical to Principal Frederic's. "You know what happened last time."

"How was I to know that you shouldn't give intoxicants to a Mimic?" cried H.G. "That girl had no business watching that dinosaur flick, if she couldn't control her abilities!"

H.G. turned to the rest of them to explain. "The girl turned into a Tyrannosaurus, right in the middle of my living room! I'll have you know that fixing the ceiling did not come cheap!"

"You're lucky no one was hurt," Leena said. "I thought Principal Frederic was going to expel you for sure."

"She wouldn't." H.G. shook her head with unconcern. "Who's going to fix the school's Anti-gravity Generator the next time it goes bonkers? I'm too useful to them."

"H.G.!" called a boy from across the cafeteria. "Come on, we're going to be late for practice!"

"Right. I must be going, then. I hope I'll see you all on Saturday." She squeezed Myka's shoulder briefly but lingeringly as she passed. Myka tried her best to suppress the shiver that ran down her spine.

Steve was giving her a knowing look, but Myka stubbornly refused to meet his eyes.

"I think we should get going, guys. Don't we have Placement right now?" she said. Just the thought of it made Myka feel nauseous, but she felt like she needed to move rather than sit and ponder the effect H.G. Wells seemed to have on her. "Pete?"

She turned to find Pete frowning at H.G.'s retreating back.

H.G. joined the three boys standing near the cafeteria doors. One of them was Crowley. He bent to whisper something in her ear that made her smirk. It was like their tussle that morning was completely forgotten. Myka frowned, too.

"Myka's right. You guys should get going now," Leena said. "I'll round up the other freshman and take you to the auditorium."

Myka swallowed her apprehension and rose.


End file.
